Jay A. Perman, M.D.

Jay Perman was named the fifth chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) in
January 2020. The USM comprises 12 public universities and three regional higher education centers across the state, enrolling 163,000 students.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Perman served as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore—the state’s only public health and human services university—for nearly a decade. A pediatric gastroenterologist, he still practices medicine once a week, teaching team-based health care to students in UMB’s six professional schools.

As chancellor, Dr. Perman is committed to advancing higher education access for all Maryland students. He is building on the USM’s reputation for innovation, particularly in R&D, economic development, and community engagement. Above all, he seeks to fulfill what he sees as his most fundamental obligation: ensuring that every person in Maryland who wants a college education can get one.

Dr. Perman received his Doctor of Medicine degree—with distinction—from Northwestern University. After his residency in pediatrics at Northwestern’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, he completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School and the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston.

In addition to UMB, Dr. Perman has held faculty and leadership positions at UCSF, Johns Hopkins University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Kentucky.